The Drinking Contest
by SapphyTheElf
Summary: .Finished. It’s amazing how much a little alcohol can loosen tongues, spill secrets and bring people together.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Heaven, or any of the characters featured in this story.**

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As he surveyed the student council office, with its recently acquired brightly coloured decorations of balloons and banners, not to mention the many used paper plates and cups that now littered its surfaces, Koji wished fervently that this really was the end of the party. Officially, of course, it was; this was all he had given permission for, after all. When Niwa approached him with the idea of throwing Keita a birthday party, he had envisioned something along the lines of his welcoming party – a little rowdy, but nothing that could not be dealt with by a firm assertion of his authority as dorm manager.

However, he had not factored in the 'after party' that was apparently starting, and he had definitely not factored in the large quantity of alcohol that had mysteriously appeared now that most of the guests had drifted away, leaving only Keita's closer friends present. He had no idea how it had been acquired, and quite frankly did not want to know, although he heavily suspected Nakajima. He had often sauntered in, long after curfew, with alcohol on his breath and cigarette smoke clinging to his clothes, much to Koji's chagrin.

Whoever's fault it was, the issue was that alcohol had been produced, and a drinking contest had been suggested. Koji acted instinctively, horror evident on his face.

"Definitely not. Most of the people here have not had much, if any, exposure to alcohol, and I for one am _not_ prepared to deal with the repercussions of drunken teenagers." He folded his arms with an air of finality.

"Ah, come on, Shinomiya! It's just a bit of fun!" protested Niwa immediately, sitting up from where he was lounging on the sofa. "I'm sure we can take our alcohol. Right, guys?" He grinned around the room at the others. Several of his companions were nodding their agreement, obviously confident in their drinking abilities. Koji was happy to note that at least a few people seemed slightly uneasy, that is, Keita, Takuto, and interestingly, Naruse. Perhaps he still had a chance of averting this contest.

Shunsuke had started to discourse about all the alcohol he had consumed at some party or another, but Koji hastily cut him off before he got into his stride. He didn't need them all to compare histories, or they would force him to let the contest go ahead just so they could see who was lying.

"That's enough. I did not give permission for this, and I doubt that more than a handful of you are serious about it anyway-"

He was interrupted by a soft voice from the corner of the room, where Shichijo was sitting with Saionji, away from the central mass of people.

"Perhaps we should ask Itou-kun what he wants. After all, it _is_ his party," Shichijo suggested pleasantly.

All eyes turned to Keita, who sank down a little in his seat, looking startled and somewhat embarrassed. He seemed to be trying to figure out the best way out of the situation, that is, the one that would offend the smallest group of people. That was Keita all over, really – always desperate to please. Koji usually admired his diplomacy, but for once he really wanted him to take sides. His side.

"I… I'll do what everyone else wants to do," he said finally. "You've gone through enough trouble as it is, throwing this party for me!" He smiled winningly, obviously hoping that someone would make his decision for him.

And they did.

"So, it's settled, then," cried Niwa, jovially. "That's," he performed a quick headcount, "nine people versus you, Shinomiya." He looked triumphant.

Saionji sniffed disdainfully. "That's just typical of you, Niwa, assuming you've won before the votes have even been cast. Only four people have actually agreed directly – you, Nakajima, Shunsuke and Endo. In case your maths has failed you, that leaves four to be persuaded onto Shinomiya's side, and of course Keita, who will reserve his vote until last." Koji's heart lifted. Perhaps there was at least one sensible student in this school.

"Okay, then, Kaoru-chan. Which side are you taking?" replied Niwa easily.

Saionji glared at him for a moment in silence before deliberately turning away and addressing Shichijo. "What do you think, Omi? I suppose there is nothing more amusing to do."

Niwa grinned in elation, while Koji's heart sank back down. He glanced at Shichijo, who looked vaguely surprised at Saionji's decision. He appeared hesitant to reply. Koji thought he was probably torn between following his friend's example and looking out for Saionji. As he was considering this, a deep voice resonated from the other side of the room and interrupted him.

"No doubt the Treasury's dog will follow its master," Nakajima smirked. "Unless, of course, he is too, ah, afraid to engage in a battle that does not allow a computer to do the work for him?"

"Naturally, Nakajima-san, I would be delighted to take part. Let us hope that you put up a fight that meets my expectations." The two smiled icily at each other, sending a wave of unease over the room. It felt as though the room temperature had dropped several degrees, and Keita glanced nervously Endo, who smiled reassuringly back. The exchange student still hadn't quite got used to their constant quarrelling. Saionji merely rolled his eyes and moved on to the next person to cast their vote - Naruse.

"If it's something my honey wants to do, how could I refuse him?" A smile and a wink in Keita's direction accompanied his answer, which made Keita blush and Endo scowl.

"It seems that the majority is in favour of the contest, but we still have one more person to ask." Saionji continued, ignoring the new scuffle threatening to break out. He turned to Takuto, Koji's best friend, who had been sitting quietly, observing the scene unfolding before him.

Koji smiled to himself. Here, at least, he had an ally. Although Takuto did not generally put himself forward in a debate, he was intensely loyal and would come to his friend's aid if enough urgency was conveyed. Koji raised his eyebrows at the artist, willing him to get the message.

Takuto, however, looked away apologetically and said softly, "I don't see what harm it could do, Koji. It doesn't have to get out of hand." He sounded so earnest that even Koji's will of steel was starting to crack. Well, surely it would be okay for a few rounds… He was actually quite pleased that Takuto wanted to socialise further. He was usually shy and retiring, so naturally parties were something he had to be persuaded into. It showed how much he cared for Keita that he was willing to do something that he was not particularly comfortable for his sake.

Koji sighed. "It seems I'm overruled."

"All right!" Shunsuke punched his fist in the air.

"Excellent," said Nakajima, producing shot glasses and proceeding to pour a measure of vodka into each. "I presume you won't be taking part?"

The dorm manager gave him a withering look, at which he merely smiled and continued with his task.

Meanwhile, the rest of the participants found chairs and pulled them up to the table that Niwa was clearing of the empty plates and glasses from earlier. Some people were looking decidedly nervous now. Takuto was eying the shot in front of him as if it were poison, which, thought Koji, it practically was.

When all of the shots had been handed out, Nakajima calmly explained the rules.

"Each round consists of a shot of vodka each. When I count to three, you must all drink the shot in front of you in one swallow, as quickly as possible. Trust me, you _do not _want to linger over this," he smirked unnervingly, "The winner of the contest is the one who is able to survive the most rounds. You may, of course, back out at any time. Is everything clear?"

Murmurs of affirmation came from around the table.

"Well, then. Are we ready?"

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**Well, that was my first foray into Gakuen Heaven fanfiction. Please leave me a review to tell me how I did!**

**SapphyTheElf**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Nakajima counted down slowly, relishing the control he had over the other students. He seemed completely at ease, cradling his shot glass in his hand, leaning slightly back in his chair and surveying the room over the top of his glasses. The silence was stifling – Koji felt tense and he wasn't even going to be participating.

At the signal from Nakajima, each participant downed their shot. It was actually quite interesting, mused Koji, how different people coped. Keita, for instance, started choking as soon as the liquid hit the back of his throat, and had to be thumped on the back by Endo. On the other hand, excluding Nakajima himself, Shichijo was the only person who was completely unaffected by what had passed through his lips. He set his glass down on the table coolly and turned to check on Saionji, who was pulling a face at the aftertaste left in his mouth.

This reminded Koji that he had set himself the task of keeping an eye on the more vulnerable members of the group. He fixed his gaze on Takuto, expecting to see the strain showing already. However, Takuto had finished his shot without incident, and despite seeming to share Saionji's sentiments about the aftertaste, hesitantly pushed his glass back into the centre of the table, ready for the second round.

Koji caught his eye and Takuto gave him a reassuring smile. He smiled back, beginning to relax a little when he saw that no one had had any problems yet. Unfortunately, this sense of relief was short lived. In fact, it ended as soon as Shunsuke opened his mouth.

"See, Shinomiya-san, we told you it'd be fine!" he said, much too loudly, even for him, and apparently unaware that he was practically shouting. Koji barely resisted rolling his eyes; he should have known Shunsuke's assertions of drinking ability were too vehement to be true. He obviously was not as seasoned a drinker as he would like people to believe, or at least didn't realise when he crossed the line from sober to somewhat tipsy. And come on, even _Keita _wasn't showing signs of drunkenness yet!

"Tol' you 'twouldn't be a problem…" Shunsuke repeated more quietly, as an elbow to the ribs courtesy of Naruse brought him back to his senses a little. There was a strange expression on the tennis player's face as he looked at his friend – a mixture of amusement, exasperation and… something else that Koji couldn't quite make out. He made a mental note to investigate it later, when he wasn't so busy.

Koji decided to turn a blind eye to Shunsuke's state for the time being; he was only slightly drunk, after all, and Koji knew from previous experience of drunken friends that he would be more willing to do what he said the more drunk he got. If a scene could be avoided, so much the better. On making this decision, he sat back in his chair and awaited the next round.

"So, did everyone survive?" Niwa asked cheerfully above the low hum of conversation that had erupted. "Ready for round two?" Without waiting for an answer, he swiftly gathered up the glasses that had not found their way back to Nakajima and deposited them expectantly in front of his friend.

"I, myself, am definitely ready. I'm going to win this," he announced to the room at large, with a none-too-subtle glance at Saionji, who looked rather unimpressed.

Nakajima also raised an eyebrow at this attempted display of masculinity.

"It's a pity you can't apply yourself this deeply to your student council duties, Tetsuya. Save your bragging for later, when you've actually _achieved your goal_, hmm?" he drawled, his implications heavy in the air.

Niwa scratched the back of his head, looking sheepish. Luckily for him, Nakajima appeared to have moved on from teasing him and was pouring more measurements of vodka into the glasses.

The next couple of rounds passed with more confidence. Now that people knew what to expect, they were quick to drink the shot and return their glass to the centre of the table for a top-up. However, the speed the drinks were flowing and the seemingly never-ending supply were making Koji exceedingly nervous again. He scrutinised every movement, every word that anyone said, for signs of the contest getting too out-of-hand so that he could finally nip this ridiculous idea in the bud and go to bed. Or at least, go to bed without a guilty conscience that the people who were none-too-good at looking after themselves needed him and he was somehow failing them.

A few minutes later, it seemed as though maybe luck was on his side after all, at least as far as one of his charges was concerned. There appeared to be a bit of a delay in getting the next round out, and most of the people gathered around the table had their eyes fixed expectantly on Takuto. He didn't seem to notice, however, absently staring at the light reflecting off the shot glass he was rolling between his long fingers. He was probably wondering how best you would capture it in paint, Koji decided.

"Aren't you going to put your glass back in the centre, Iwai?" asked Shichijo politely, "I believe that that is what Nakajima is waiting for."

"Oh! I'm sorry," Takuto apologised, snapping out of his reverie and flushing a little, "I didn't realise we had to announce when we'd had enough. I'm sorry to keep you waiting, everyone."

Shunsuke leaned forward across the table, a wicked smile on his face. "Backing out after only three rounds?"

Takuto looked taken aback. "Well, that's three more than I would normally have had!" he laughed softly.

"Hey… was that a joke I just heard?" Niwa grinned triumphantly, clapping him on the back. "Always knew you had it in you! But who'd have thought it'd take alcohol to mellow you out?"

"Really, Niwa, he probably would be more, ah, 'mellow' if you weren't so abrasive with him all the time," sniped Saionji, before turning abruptly to Takuto, who looked vaguely confused at this interlude. "But it _is_ nice to see you more relaxed around us," Saionji concluded, kindly. He sat back and crossed his arms, indicating the end of the discussion. Niwa opened and shut his mouth a few times, but apparently decided not to get into an argument at that moment in time.

Meanwhile, a few others had been murmuring their agreement to Saionji's statement, and Takuto glowed, quietly happy. Koji smiled too, pleased with this development.

Nakajima cleared his throat. "Are we ready to continue yet?" he asked, surveying the remaining participants. The next round of shots was already poured out, the clear liquid shimmering in the tiny glasses. Koji wondered idly why he was so impatient to carry on. Quite possibly it was because the effects on other people would be stronger if they had more alcohol in a shorter space of time. He'd better keep an eye on Nakajima – he didn't trust him as far as he could throw him, and there could well be ulterior motives behind this 'harmless' game. Koji checked himself; since when had he turned into such a suspicious person? This contest was definitely bringing out the worst in him, paranoia-wise.

"Of course we are, now we've got rid of the straggler!" said Shunsuke, again unaware of the very high volume of his voice, his face rather pink now. Koji pointedly shot him a glare for his insensitivity, which did absolutely no good whatsoever, as he appeared not to register it, but gave Koji a lot of satisfaction.

"Just a minute, Nakajima. I don't think I'll be continuing either," spoke up a voice that had, unusually for him, been fairly silent throughout the contest.

"Eh? Naruse, too?" Shunsuke squawked. Next to him, Keita winced at the noise.

Naruse beamed a winning smile around the table. "It's just not really my thing. But of course, I'll be sticking around to see who wins! I'm rooting for my honey, naturally!" He glanced across Shunsuke to where Keita, looking self-conscious and bashful, was hurriedly burying himself in conversation with Endo.

The glasses were passed out once again in quick succession and the participants drank. It was painfully obvious now who really needed to be taken out. Shunsuke first and foremost; Keita a close second. Koji didn't really mind how much of an idiot they were making of themselves, it was more the horrible prospect of looking after vomiting, or at least very hung over, students for half the night and most of the next day. The others, he wasn't so bothered about – they could take care of themselves.

As he was thinking this, he suddenly found himself being addressed for the first time in quite a while. Most of the others had forgotten he was there.

"Loosen up a little, Shinomiya. You're creeping me out with your continual glaring!" Niwa said, attempting a joke.

At least Keita seemed to find it funny. In fact, he was finding most things hilarious at the moment, giggles punctuating much of what was said – a perfectly reasonable excuse for removing him from the contest. His eyes were too bright, and he also seemed to be having problems with balance, or spatial awareness, or something, as he had just toppled sideways off his chair onto Endo's lap.

Surely under normal circumstances, he would at least be blushing by now? And attempting to move? But this new, alcohol-influenced Keita lay across Endo's lap, gazing up at him with his huge doe-like eyes, a small smile upon his face. Endo didn't seem that concerned, either, despite the fact that, now Keita _had_ started to move, it was only so that he was sitting rather than lying on his lap. Endo, with a quizzical look at the boy on his lap, put his arms hesitantly around Keita, who beamed and snuggled closer.

Eight identically baffled faces watched this little display.

"Wha-?" A half-formed question died on somebody's lips as Endo gave a rather nervous smile and started to speak.

"Well, this is a… slightly awkward way of us telling you," he began, weakly, "But, yes, it is what it seems. Keita and I have been a couple for a few months, and…" He trailed off.

"And you didn't know how to tell us?" suggested Takuto helpfully, in his gentle voice.

Endo nodded his gratitude, "Yes. We-" He was cut off, however, by Nakajima.

"Well, well. This _is_ interesting," said Nakajima, a wicked glint in his eye. "I never imagined something quite so," he paused, looking for the right word, "'diverting' being divulged in our little game. But surely there's a certain person who might have something to say about this?"

All eyes followed his to Naruse, who was sitting, cool and collected, watching the scene unfold. He looked vaguely startled to have been put on the spot like this.

"Uh, yes. Looks like you won, Endo. Congratulations. Take care of him," he stated absently, lacking his usual flair.

"What's this? I would have thought you would have put up more of a fight than this?" Nakajima sounded almost disappointed.

"It seems as though someone hasn't done their research," observed Shichijo with interest.

"And what might you mean by that?"

"Maybe Itou-kun isn't his 'honey' after all…"

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**Sorry for the wait on this one - it was long, even by my standards. A giant case of writer's block and a new job is to blame for this, but hopefully things will settle down now. **

**Tell me what you think!**

**SapphyTheElf**


	3. Chapter 3

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**

Finished. Sorry how long that took, but I've got my interest in writing back finally.

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A stunned silence followed that last, shrewd observation. Most people had never thought Naruse had it in him to be subtle about the one he liked. He had always been so upfront about it, or so they thought. _Had_ it all been a front, to disguise a long-term crush? That would explain the apparent fickleness of his attractions, having been through most of the people in the school by now.

Naruse shifted uneasily in his chair, suddenly embarrassed by the continued staring of his friends as they tried to work out who the lucky guy could be. Koji felt a little sorry for him; he knew certain people were never going to let it rest until they knew. He was wondering how best to provide a distraction when Shunsuke produced one of his own, through going very pale, clapping his hand over his mouth and rushing from the room in search of a bathroom.

Koji stood up immediately, rolling his eyes. He knew he shouldn't have let him have the last round. And now, here were the consequences. However, Naruse was already making his way to the door, evidently glad of the change of focus, yet also very concerned. He turned and caught Koji's eye, then gave him a small smile and a shake of the head, as if to say 'don't worry, I'll deal with this'. Koji sat down, relieved. Vomit was not something he could easily deal with, especially other people's. He had a newfound sense of respect for Naruse now; there was an air of maturity shining through that he hadn't really seen before. And, well, well, it seemed that Shunsuke was the one that had brought it out in him. He wondered how this relationship would play out; for it must be him that Naruse was enamoured with, although _why_, he'd never know. All the signs pointed that way, he realised now. The unreadable looks and the shared bentos and the death-defying rides on Shunsuke's bike.

"We seem to have lost another of our number," commented Nakajima casually, passing out an increasingly small number of glasses. He was evidently keen to get on now that the drama was over for the time being, for he was not one inclined to stir trouble when the subjects weren't even in the room. Where would the fun in that be?

The contestants took up their glasses once more. Most people seemed to be getting into their stride now, the alcohol in their bloodstream catching up with them, making them forget how much they had already had and the fact they should probably be stopping. Under Nakajima's watchful care, the glasses had scarcely been emptied before they were full again. Koji had given up – the students he had been keeping an eye on were out of the game, leaving the people who he would not be responsible for to finish it up. He toyed with the idea of going to bed, but decided he actually wanted to see what happened now that it had got this far.

It had got serious. There was much less banter, although this may be because nobody wanted to give themselves away with the slightest slur in their speech. The five remaining drinkers were so focused on what they were doing, it was actually getting kind of boring. Koji would almost welcome a drunken disturbance of some sort at this point in time.

Takuto seemed to be thinking along the same lines as he gazed wide-eyed from face to face, as if to see who would be next to spill his secrets. Then he nudged Koji with a smile.

"Look." He pointed across the table. Koji followed his finger, and grinned as well at the scene. Keita, who was now on his own seat again, but only just, had fallen asleep on Endo's shoulder. Endo rested his cheek on the messy red hair, suddenly looking quite sleepy himself.

"I suppose we'd better get ourselves to bed," he yawned.

Nakajima raised an eyebrow at him, and Niwa was smirking openly. Saionji hid a grin behind his hand.

"Uh…I mean…" Endo stuttered, blushing at the implications.

He gave up trying to explain himself, and withdrew his arm from around Keita to gather his jacket from the back of the chair. Keita shivered at the sudden withdrawal of heat and cuddled closer to Endo with a sigh. Endo gave him a gentle shake and whispered in his ear. Keita's eyes fluttered open and, taking in who was still in the room, he looked mortified.

Jumping to his feet, he apologised profusely. "It's not because I find you boring!" he hastened to explain.

Endo escorted him from the room amidst ripples of fond laughter.

As everyone was preparing for round – what was it now? Koji had lost count – the door re-opened and Naruse slipped into the room, taking Endo's vacated chair.

Takuto looked him over and, seeing his expression, asked quietly, "How is he?"

Naruse sighed. "He's ok. Well, he's stopped throwing up, at least. And he won't remember a thing in the morning. I knew this would happen; that's why I stopped taking part myself."

"So… if he won't remember anything, does that mean you'll have to confess to him again?" Niwa wondered out loud, "Because it practically was a confession, wasn't it? You do like him, right?"

He earned himself an elbow in the side from Saionji for his lack of tact, although it was perhaps not as hard as it would have been normally. Maybe the alcohol was getting to him, too.

It seemed as though most people had jumped to the same conclusion Koji and Niwa had, because they turned to Naruse with pitying expressions.

"Maybe…" he shrugged. Then he grinned. "But I've got plenty of time. You know, I quite enjoy playing the field. And as long as I haven't got any competitors, I think I'm ok!"

A few of the others looked sceptical.

"But seriously," he continued, his voice lowering in tone, "I just don't want any awkwardness between us. The time has got to be right."

"Well, that's fair enough, really." People's eyes turned to Koji. It seemed that a lot had forgotten he was there, again. He really should speak more, or something. "Shall we get on with the game?"

Naruse gave him a grateful smile, while Nakajima looked taken aback.

"Well, it seems that our dear straight-laced dorm manager is actually getting into this contest now. Can we take this as official endorsement, I wonder?"

"What? No, I-" Now it was his turn to stutter, and realise the futility of actually defending himself to the quick tongue and wits of Nakajima. He rolled his eyes and subsided into silence.

The contest continued. Koji could tell that Nakajima was getting frustrated at Shichijo's calm attitude – even with goodness-knows-how-much alcohol in him there was very little to suggest that it was having an effect. He was as polite and indifferent as ever, seeming to view the contest as, at most a somewhat amusing game, although Koji noticed that he was as quick as Nakajima to knock back the next shot. On the other hand, Niwa and Saionji were getting less and less interested. On a couple of occasions, they had to be reminded to put their glasses back into the middle for a refill.

They had been engrossed for sometime in an earnest discussion about… something, Koji couldn't quite catch what. Whatever it was, it was getting fairly heated. Surprise, surprise, they were arguing again. What is it with the Student Council and the Treasury that even when they were together at a _social_, they couldn't keep school politics out of it?

Then, to the room-at-large's general amazement, Saionji grabbed Niwa by his tie and pulled him forward, pressing their lips together. Niwa responded almost at once, with great enthusiasm, wrapping his arms around the other boy and further reducing the gap between their bodies. It was with morbid fascination that everyone watched Saionji snake his hand up to the back of Niwa's head, where he tangled his fingers in the short hair there; no one could tear their eyes away. Koji didn't think he'd ever seen Shichijo look so bemused.

They deepened the kiss, greedy for more contact. There must have been a lot of sexual frustration on both sides, not just the obvious one. Funny how it just needed alcohol to let it out. Koji wondered whether the relationship would last beyond that night. They appeared, even then, to still be fighting. Each was trying to dominate the kiss. However slight and drunk Saionji was, he still wasn't taking any nonsense from Niwa.

It was starting to get a bit awkward. Eventually, Koji cleared his throat loudly, and the King and Queen of the school reluctantly broke apart. Niwa kept his arm tight around Saionji, who looked a little flushed and breathless. Niwa just looked incredibly pleased with himself.

He exchanged a look with Nakajima, whose expression shifted slightly, from the unreadable to the incredibly unreadable. Nakajima then poured out only two shots, and handed one to Shichijo with a challenging smile.

Shichijo, still looking very nonplussed, took up his shot and downed it almost on autopilot.

As soon as he had done so, another shot was winging its way to him.

The attention of the room was definitely focused on them now. Even Niwa and Saionji, the latter leaning on the formers shoulder, had ceased their canoodling to observe. The atmosphere felt as if there was a storm brewing, heavy and brooding. Koji hoped there wouldn't be a fight for him to break up; that would be well beyond the call of duty, in his opinion.

The contestants drank.

Nakajima's hand shook slightly as he poured the next round. Shichijo seemed to be slowing down.

And another shot. How could they be keeping going?

Both of them eyed the couple of shots, shimmering in the middle of the table. Each reached out a hand, grabbed and gulped. A semblance of mutual agreement flashed briefly across their faces as their eyes met.

Nakajima then proffered a begrudging hand for his opponent to shake.

"It would appear, much as I hate to admit it, that we are equals in this respect."

Shichijo nodded, a mark of respect as much as an acknowledgement of the statement.

"I'm frankly quite surprised you were able to keep up with me, Nakajima. Perhaps I shouldn't be so dismissive of the tales I hear of your exploits at the jazz bar," he added, a wicked twinkle in his eye.

Nakajima ignored the heavy insinuation, rounding the focus back to Shichijo. "But tell me this," he purred, "how is it that you have developed this 'talent' for drinking? Do you perhaps add a little something to that 'tea' you and Saionji are always drinking? I always wondered about the appeal."

Shichijo, too, ignored this barbed attack. He chose instead to answer the first question. "I'm part-French, so naturally, it's in my blood. Although we do not normally 'binge-drink', due to our culture we build up a certain tolerance to alcohol at a very young age. I'm surprised that you didn't pick up on that part of my heritage when you hacked my file looking for my so-called secrets."

The vice-president of the student council had the grace to look a little abashed. But just a little. That he was determined to win this war of words, as he couldn't win the contest, was clear.

However, Shichijo hadn't finished. "I, on the other hand, haven't the need to hack your personal files. You are easier to read than you believe yourself to be. I know your weakness."

"Well?" Nakajima was scornful.

"Niwa, Nakajima, although you might not realise it. For this contest was not only to one-up me, now, was it? You are less cold than you would like to appear."

Shichijo stood up, and walked to the door, ready to leave. He paused on the threshold, and tossed a comment over his shoulder.

"Don't worry, it suits you."

For once, Nakajima was speechless.

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**Thanks to everyone who stuck with this story. If you wouldn't mind reviewing to let me know how I got on with my first foray into GH fanfic, that would be much appreciated.**

**SapphyTheElf**


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